


The Business of Family

by bransch



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, CS Secret Santa 2k18, Captain Duckling, F/M, Gen, Organized Crime
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 18:40:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17147012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bransch/pseuds/bransch
Summary: When Emma Swan's college boyfriend, Neal Gold, invited her to be his date at his father's wedding, she never expected to end up in the middle of a battle between two organized crime families, or to be kidnapped by the opposing side. Will she be able to escape the mysterious man that calls himself Hook? Or is she safer with him than with Neal? And what will happen when Hook needs her help to get what he wants?





	The Business of Family

**Author's Note:**

  * For [liliumweiss](https://archiveofourown.org/users/liliumweiss/gifts).



> This is a story I wrote for liliumweiss for the CS Secret Santa 2k18 event over on Tumblr. Sara told me she is big big fan of Captain Duckling, and I decided I wanted to write a modern AU for that genre.

Neal walked up to a table in the dining hall and slid in across from a beautiful blonde. "Hey, Ems…" he began, "I've been thinking about my dad's wedding…"

Emma looked up from her grilled cheese to look into her boyfriend's eyes. "Yeah?" she asked warily. A week ago, Neal had invited her to join him as his date at his father's wedding. Emma didn't know much about Neal's family, but she knew he had a tense relationship with his father. He wanted her to come with him to the wedding as a favor, he'd said. To help keep him calm around his family. Emma had been touched by his request. She and Neal had been dating for six months, and an invitation to meet his family was a big step in their relationship. But now it seemed he was having second thoughts.

"Yeah," Neal sighed, slumping back in his chair. He ran a hand through his shaggy brown hair and fixed her with his soft brown eyes. "You know… my dad, he's kinda intense."

"You've mentioned that before."

"Yeah… it's just… I'm not sure how he'll react to you being there."

"Did you change your mind about me going with you?" Emma asked, narrowing her gaze as she watched him fidget.

"No! Shit… no, that's not it at all. I want you there. It's just… I don't know…" he trailed off.

Emma let loose an exasperated sigh. She hated when Neal was like this. She had been raised to always be direct, and she had no patience for others trying to beat around the bush.

Before she could grill him further, the chair next to Neal was pulled away from the table and their friend August sat down. He looked between them, his crystal blue eyes taking in the tension of the moment. "Did I just walk in on a fight?"

"No," Emma replied. "Not a fight, but there's something Neal doesn't want to tell me. About his dad's wedding." She looked at Neal, but he wouldn't meet her gaze, instead staring down at the table.

"You guys are heading out for that tomorrow, right?"

"We're supposed to be."

"We are… damnit. I'm not changing my mind, Emma. I want you there," Neal finally replied, though his tone made him sound unsure.

"So what's the issue?" Emma asked.

"Neal's probably just embarrassed to tell you that his dad is a--."

Neal turned his head and glared at his friend. "I swear to god, August, if you finish that sentence I'll make you regret it."

"What the hell is going on?" Emma asked, quickly losing her patience.

Neal scrubbed his hand down his face and turned to look at Emma. "My dad is a lot older than the woman he's marrying, okay? That's what August was gonna say. That he's a cradle robber."

"How do you know?" she asked as she glanced over at the other man.

"Neal and I grew up together. My dad still works for his dad, so I hear these things," August replied, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning over the table.

Emma didn't detect a lie in August's words, but she still felt like there was something Neal wasn't saying. She turned her head to look at her boyfriend again. "You were afraid I was going to say something rude about your dad marrying a younger woman?"

"I don't know, Ems. It's just a little embarrassing, alright? Belle is only a couple years older than me."

"Well, thank you for telling me, but it doesn't change my mind about coming. I'd still like to go and meet your family."

"Okay… good," Neal replied, but he still seemed burdened.

After a moment of awkward silence, August spoke again. "So, since you guys are still leaving tomorrow, mind if I tag along? I'll chip in for gas."

"I thought you weren't going to the wedding?" Neal asked, casting an accusing glare at his friend.

"Dad called me last night and told me he wants me there. Out of respect for your dad. Can't disrespect Mr. Gold."

Neal turned nervously to Emma. "Dad's just old fashioned, that's all."

Emma still had a feeling there was something she didn't know, but she chalked it up to Neal's anxiety about her meeting his family. "Alright, good to know. So, I'm okay if August wants to tag along, if you are"

"Yeah, that works for me," Neal responded.

"Great!" August said. "What time are we leaving?"

§§§§§§§§§§

The drive was hell. They'd gotten a late start and then ran into traffic on the highway that delayed their trip by two hours. By the time they'd arrived, it was nearly nine in the morning and Emma was exhausted. She hauled her suitcase out of the trunk and walked through the massive double doors of the house, pausing in the front entryway.

'House' was perhaps an inaccurate description for the structure she stood in now. 'Manor' would be more accurate. It was a massive brick structure, set two miles back from the road and surrounded by a tall iron fence. Inside the fence was a vast array of other buildings, including sheds, garages, smaller houses, and what looked like an airplane hanger off in the distance.

The scale of things, combined with the opulence of the main house confirmed for Emma that there was something about his father that Neal wasn't telling her. Unfortunately, she was too tired to get into a discussion with him on a topic she was sure would lead to a fight.

As she stood there taking in her surroundings, she was approached by a petite brunette with striking blue eyes. She wore heels that were easily four inches tall, along with tights, a short skirt, and a tailored blouse. "You must be Emma!" she said as she approached. Her voice had a melodic quality that almost sound British, if not for her pronunciation. It was from somewhere that Emma couldn't quite place in her sleep addled state. South Africa? New Zealand?

"Yes, hi." Emma looked around and realized for the first time that she was alone, save for the newcomer. They'd dropped August off at another house down the road a while back. Had Neal just wandered off and left her here? Had he said something to her she hadn't heard?

"I'm Belle," the other woman replied.

_Ah,_ Emma thought, _there it is. She's Australian_. She stared at the other women for a moment longer before her brain caught up with her. "Oh, Belle. As in…"

"The woman marrying Neal's father, yes, that's me."

"Nice to meet you," Emma said, extending her hand. The other woman took it in her own and shook gently.

"You look exhausted," Belle said. "Was the drive difficult?"

"Just long," Emma replied. "I can't really sleep in cars. I'd love a chance to take a nap before I meet the rest of the family."

"Oh, didn't Neal tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"Hey Ems! There you are." She heard Neal approach from behind, interrupting Belle before she had a chance to reply.

"Yeah, where else would I be?"

"Hey, so listen, Dad said all the women in the house are going to a cabin a couple hours away for Belle's bachelorette. So why don't you head out with them?"

"What? We just got here." She stared at Neal, not comprehending his request.

"Yeah, but, you oughta go with them. We call it a cabin, but actually the place is pretty swanky. Jetted tubs, great mountain views. You'll have a great time."

Emma looked nervously at Belle. "Neal, can I talk to you in private for a minute?"

"That's my cue," Belle replied, giving them a warm smile. "Come find me after your talk." She walked away, leaving Neal and Emma alone in the foyer.

"What the hell is going on, Neal? I didn't come here to spend the weekend at some cabin two hours away with a bunch of people I don't know."

"Ems, look, this is important. I told you, my dad's old fashioned. He wants Belle to spend a night away before the wedding. I hear there's going to be some spa treatments and stuff happening up there. You'll love it. You should go."

"No, Neal. No. I did not come here for that. I'm here with you, and I'm staying here with you."

"For fucks sake, Emma! Just go with them!"

Emma stumbled back, his words and tone hitting her the same as if he'd physically slapped her. "What the fuck, Neal?" she hissed. "Why are you being like this?"

"Okay, okay, shit. I'm sorry. Forget I said anything. Let me go talk to dad and see if he's okay with you staying here."

"Whatever. Can you show me to our room? I just want to lay down."

"Oh, yeah. Just head up the stairs to the third floor and make a left. It's the fourth door on the right."

"Right...okay." Emma shouldered her backpack, picked up her suitcase, and started lugging up the stairs. Neal didn't even wait for her to get to the first landing before he'd hurried away.

When she reached the third floor, she couldn't remember if he'd told her to take a left or a right. She stood at the top of the stairs, trying to remember, when she heard the creak of a floorboard. Turning sharply to her right, she saw a small girl, perhaps ten years old, with long blonde hair falling in loose waves over her shoulders and big, curious blue eyes.

"Hello," Emma said, aiming to make her tone friendlier than she felt at the moment.

"Hello," the girl replied, her clipped tones revealing another accent, this one definitely British. "Who are you?"

"I'm Emma. I'm here for the wedding. I came with Neal."

"Neal's back?" The girl's serious face brightened slightly.

"Yeah, he's downstairs somewhere. Who are you?"

"Oh, I'm Alice. Neal's sister."

"Neal never told me he had a sister."

"Well, I'm his half sister. We share the same mother."

"Oh… okay." The only thing Emma only knew about Neal's mother was that she had died several years ago. She didn't know the particulars, but she was certain she'd never heard him mention a half sister before. Blinking, she widened her smile. "Um, can you help me find Neal's room?"

"Oh, sure," Alice replied. "Follow me." She led Emma down the hall to the room and stopped at the door. "Will you be coming with us to the cabin later?"

"Um, I don't know," Emma responded. "No offense, I'm sure you're really nice, but I kind of came here to spend time with Neal."

"I get that," Alice replied. "Are you in love with him?"

"Oh… I don't know. We haven't been together that long."

"Okay," Alice said with a shrug. "I'm glad I got to meet you, Emma. I hope I get to talk to you some more." Alice gave her a smile and skipped off down the hall, back the way she came.

Emma smiled at the sweet girl before opening the door. The room held handsome brown furniture and a window with a beautiful view, but no memorabilia to mark the room as belonging to Neal. She had a hard time thinking about that, however, when she looked at the plush, queen-sized bed set against the far wall. Dropping her bags, she kicked off her shoes, and walked to the bed, falling forward onto the pillows. After just a few minutes she fell into a deep sleep.

§§§§§§§§§§

When she woke up, the sky was dark. Emma fumbled for her cell phone to check the time and found that it was already 6 PM. She also noticed that the battery was nearly dead, probably due to the fact that the device had been searching for a signal all day. _Great,_ she though, _I'm stuck in the middle of nowhere with no cell reception._ She fished her charger out of her backpack and plugged the phone in before opening the settings to see if she could get on the wi-fi. But, of course, a password was required, and she had no idea what that was.

She looked around the room and saw that Neal had brought his suitcase up. Had that not been there, she'd have had no idea that he was ever in the room. He'd left no note for her. She looked at her phone again, but there were no messages or missed calls. At a loss for what to do, she put her shoes back on and decided to venture out in search of him.

She'd been prowling around the downstairs area for 30 minutes when she finally heard voices coming from a room at the end of a long corridor. She couldn't quite make them out, but one of them was distinctly Neal. She followed the hall to get closer, and, as she neared the door, the voices became clearer.

"I don't see why you're all so pissed with me," Neal said

"We're pissed, you moron, because you got here late and she didn't leave with the other women. Now she's stuck here when we are about to close on one of the biggest deals the family has had!" Emma vaguely recognized that voice as Peter, Neal's younger half brother, whom she'd heard him speak to over the phone on a few occasions.

"She's not gonna cause any problems. What the hell would she know, anyway?"

"I don't like outsiders here," said a new voice Emma didn't recognize. "Especially not during a time like this." The words were spoken carefully in a soft brogue, his tone cold and gravelly.

"Dad," Neal said, "she won't cause any problems. She's just a piece of ass. If she causes trouble, I'll take care of her myself."

_Just a piece of ass?_ His words cut Emma to her core, and part of her wanted to turn away. But another part couldn't walk away when others were talking about her. She was transfixed and continued to listen in.

"I don't believe you. You've never had the stomach for dirty work," Peter interjected.

"I'll do what needs to be done to protect the family."

"No one will be killing Miss Swan," said the third voice, which Emma was now sure belonged to Neal's father. "Her presence here is an inconvenience, to be sure, but if she can stay in your room, she shouldn't cause issues. However, if she ends up witnessing something she was not supposed to see, I will not hesitate to silence her.

"I haven't seen her since this morning. I should probably head over to the room and make sure she stays put."

"Do that, and then come straight back. I need you there for the deal with Spencer."

The shuffling of chairs from inside the room broke Emma from her trance. Neal was coming to look for her, and if she wasn't in the room, she might end up getting killed. As quietly as she could, she ran to the end of the hall and retraced her steps. She wasn't able to make it all the way back, but by the time Neal caught up with her, she was able to make it appear as if she was just emerging from the room.

"Hey babe," he said when he saw her. "You're up."

"Yeah," she replied, rubbing at her eyes. "I slept like the dead. That bed is awesome."

"Oh yeah, you were out cold earlier. I tried getting you up when all the others were leaving, but you just rolled over and went back to sleep."

"I guess I needed the rest." She paused and looked at Neal. "Hey, so, I'm sorry about earlier. I know it's important to your dad to stick to these traditions, but I'm glad I got to stay here with you."

He gave her a tight smile in response. "Yeah, me too. But listen, you should stay in the room. Dad's got some guys coming over for his bachelor thing, and you don't wanna be around them. Some of them are rough guys."

"Oh… okay. But can I get something to eat first? I'm kind of starving."

"Yeah, sure. I'll take you down to the kitchen. But stay with me."

§§§§§§§§§§

Neal gave her everything she needed to make a grilled cheese, then left her to feed herself, extracting multiple promises from her that she would go back to the room the minute she was done in the kitchen. Emma promised him and proceeded to make her sandwich. But as soon as she was done and had washed her dishes, she decided she couldn't stay in the house any longer. His father's words kept ringing in her head. She could be killed. She needed to get the hell out of this place.

She headed back up to the room and grabbed her phone. She still didn't have a signal, and the battery was only 50% charged, but she hoped it would be enough. Shrugging on her sweater, she crept down the stairs as quietly as she could. Maybe she'd be able to get a signal outside. She just needed to call her dad. He'd know what to do.

Afraid to go out the front, Emma made her way to the kitchen and slipped out the back door. By this time it was nearly nine-o-clock. Not very late, but the inky black sky outside made it seem so much later. There were very few lights on in the manor, and even fewer in the outlying buildings. Emma walked a few paces away from the house and held up her phone, praying she'd pick up a few bars.

She stood about twenty yards from the house when she heard tires on the gravel drive out front. Mr. Gold's words came back to her vividly, and she ran to take cover behind a large tree. Maybe if she kept herself hidden, they'd believe her when she said she didn't see anything.

Emma's heart pounded in her chest. She had no idea what was going on. It was obvious Mr. Gold was involved in some sort of criminal activity, but she had no clue what could be happening that would lead to her witnessing something compromising.

She rested her head against the tree trunk and breathed slowly. She'd just about calmed her heart rate when she heard them. The popping noise almost sounded like firecrackers, but she knew better. Emma's father was a cop. She knew how to handle a firearm. Those noises she heard weren't fireworks. They were gunshots.

She heard yelling from the house and suddenly the back door flew open, two men stumbling out, one limping and bleeding heavily from a wound on his leg.

"Bloody buggering fuck!" The other man yelled. "What the hell was the boss thinking, attacking Gold on 'is property?"

"Shut your trap, Will, and get to the car. We need to get out of here fast."

Emma shrunk behind the tree and tried to make herself as small as possible. They'd nearly bypassed her, and she breathed a small sigh of relief and shifted her weight. Unfortunately, the movement of her feet caused her to step on a dry branch, and, in spite of the yelling and gunshots still emitting from the house, the crack of the twig rang out loudly in the clearing. 

"Who's there?" the wounded man called out. "Show yourself or Will here will shoot to kill."

Emma threw up her hands up and stepped out of from behind the tree. Part of her wanted to remain in hiding, but she knew from her father that it was better to cooperate than to fight. She needed to be smart. "Please don't shoot," she called out. "I'm unarmed."

"Who the 'ell are you?" the man called Will asked.

"I came here this morning with Neal. I don't know anything about Mr. Gold. I swear."

"Oh for fuck's sake," Will grumbled. "Neal brought her 'ere, knowing what 'is father was up to?"

"We don't have time for this. Grab her and bring her with us. We need to get out of here."

Emma flinched as Will approached her. "S'alright, love," Will said, his tone surprisingly gentle. "We ain't gonna hurt you."

Will used a length of rope he produced from his pocket to tie her arms behind her back before marching her toward a car hidden at the bottom of a hill. The other man stumbled behind them, falling a few times.

"We need to get you to Victor and get you stitched up," Will said as he helped the other man up."

"Soon," he replied.

They climbed into the car, Will helping Emma into the back. Once she was in the car and the interior lights were on her, he noticed the slight bulge in her front pocket. "Forgive the intrusion, but I'm taking this." He slid his fingers into her pocket as gently as he could and extracted her phone. "Robin, check it for pictures," he said, tossing the device to the other man.

They drove for a long time, the darkened landscape ensuring Emma would have no way to retrace their steps. Finally, they stopped in front of another large gate, this one even more massive, made of concrete and topped with barbed wire. After a long wait, the gate began to move, opening just wide enough to permit the car and closing immediately once they were through.

"Where are we?" Emma dared to ask as they traveled up a winding driveway.

"Somewhere safer than Gold's, I'd wager," Will replied.

The car pulled up next to several others of the same style and Will got out. Robin remained in the vehicle, the long ride stiffening his leg to the point of being unable to move it. Another man came to the car and helped Robin get out.

"Who's she?" The new man asked.

"We came upon her outside Gold's," Robin grunted as he stood. "Couldn't leave her there."

"So you brought her here?"

"What would you have had me do, John? Leave her to Gold's mercy?"

The other man, John, paused before grunting in dissent. "I still don't like it."

"It's not for you to like. Help me inside. Will will take care of her."

Faced with the unknown, Emma's rational thoughts disappeared. Her heart pounded and she breathed heavily through her nose in an attempt to keep a clear head.

"Come on, lass," Will said as he opened her door.

"Where are you taking me? Please, I don't know anything, I promise. Just let me call my dad. He'll get me out of here and you never have to see me again."

"You ain't doing nothing until you see the Captain," Will replied, hauling her out of the car. He tried to be gentle, but Emma thrashed against his pull, causing him to yank on her arm hard enough to leave a bruise. She bit her tongue to prevent herself from crying out.

He led her inside the house and through several winding passages before pausing in front of a heavy door. After knocking once, Will turned the knob and walked into the room, dragging Emma behind him.

The room was some kind of study. A huge wooden desk with intricate carvings sat in front of a wall of floor-to-ceiling bookcase, filled with books on a multitude of subjects. Emma felt the warmth and heard the crackling of a fire behind her and turned to see a massive fireplace with two armchairs and a small table set in front of it. It was like something out of a Dickens novel.

She looked around but didn't see anyone else in the room. Will looked around once before he turned to leave. Despite the fact that he was her captor, Emma was afraid to see him go.

"Now wait a damn minute!" She yelled. "What the fuck is going on here? I have been pretty trusting up to this point, which is very much _not_ my style. I need to get to a phone and call my dad."

"I told you before, you ain't doing nothing until you see the Captain."

"Who the hell is the Captain?!" she yelled, her patience worn thin.

"That would be me, lass," said a man from behind her, his voice crisp and smooth, but with a hint of danger. Against her will, Emma felt a shiver creep up her spine. He stepped into her line of sight, and she had to bite her tongue to hold back a gasp.

He was a beautiful man. Tall, with lean, muscular legs that appeared to have been poured into his skin tight black jeans. He wore a black button down shirt that was open just a bit too low, revealing a smattering of curly hair just below his collarbone. As her gaze continued up, she saw his jaw was lined with a dusting a scruff just a bit too short to be considered a full beard. His hair was black, mussed as if he'd been running his fingers through it. His most striking feature, however, were his eyes. They were a brilliant, deep blue that reminded her of cornflowers. As she met his gaze, staring into those beautifully blue eyes, she realized that his left eyebrow was lifted slightly, in a questioning manner.

Emma shook her head to come back to herself. She was lusting after a man who was essentially holding her hostage. She ground her teeth together to rekindle her anger. "Who the hell are you? Why am I here?"

He stepped closer to her, until their bodies were less than an arm's length apart. "You can call me Hook." He held up his left arm, and Emma realized with a shock that in place of his hand he had a curved, sharpened weapon. He continued to lift his arm, using the blunt side of his hook to push some of her hair over her shoulder. "All you need to know about me is that I am a very dangerous man and that you don't want to be on my bad side."

She flinched away from him. "That still doesn't explain why I'm here."

"Indeed," he responded. "Will, care to fill me in?" he asked, never taking his eyes off Emma.

"We found 'er outside Gold's house. Says she came up with Neal. Claims to not know anything."

Hook lifted his other arm and fiddled with the rings on his hand. He stepped away and walked over to the desk, leaning against it. "Do you know what happened tonight at Mr. Gold's house?"

"No," Emma replied. Hook leveled his gaze at her and raised on eyebrow again. "I heard gunshots," she said after another moment of his scrutiny.

"Do you know who was doing to shooting?"

"No. I was already outside when the shots started."

"Why were you outside?"

"Trying to get a signal on my phone so I could call my dad."

"It's an odd time of the night for a phone call."

"My dad keeps odd hours."

"I see." Hook shifted his feet and crossed his arms over his chest, resting the hook on top of his right arm. "Aren't you at all concerned about the occupants of the Gold house?"

"I haven't had a chance think about that since I was _kidnapped_."

"Hm," Hook replied, eying her suspiciously. "See, here's the thing, love--"

"Not your love," Emma replied before she could stop herself. She immediately flushed red, afraid of what his reaction might be.

Fortunately he only smiled at her. "You're something of an open book to me. And I get the impression that more was going on at the Gold manor than you want to admit."

Emma opened her mouth to reply, but he held up a finger to stop her.

"So let me fill you in on what happened tonight. I and my men attacked the Gold manor. Mr. Gold is an old enemy of mine and this attack has been years in the making. We took down a few men, but unfortunately that scaly bastard and his progeny still live. So, I need to know who you are and why you were there. Otherwise I may assume you had something to do with the failure of my plan and… well, let's just say that wouldn't end well for you."

"I didn't have anything to do with it, I swear," she replied, her voice raising an octave. "I came here to attend Mr. Gold's wedding with Neal, _my boyfriend_. I was exhausted when we arrived. I slept most of the day, and when I woke up, I went downstairs to overhear Neal, his brother, and his dad talking about how I should've left with the other women and if I saw something I shouldn't see, they'd kill me." She stopped and took in a deep breath after her panicked monologue.

"So you were trying to get away…"

"I was just trying to call my dad," she cried out, blinking back tears. "Please. I have no idea what is going on. I just want to go home."

"What's your name, lass?"

"Emma."

"Just Emma? No last name?"

Emma hesitated. She wasn't sure why, but she didn't want to give his man her full name. She looked down, her eyes catching on the swan necklace Neal had bought her a few months ago. It was a cheap piece of costume jewelry he'd purchased from a street vendor after she'd mentioned how she always liked swans.

"Swan," she replied. "My name is Emma Swan."

Hook cocked an eyebrow, but shrugged his shoulders. "Alright, we'll go with that. So, Swan, what did they mean when they said 'you should've left with the other women'?

"All the women in the house went to some cabin today. They tried to get me to leave with them, but I was exhausted and I didn't know anybody."

Hook perked up at her response, dropping his arms and leaning forward. "How many women were in this party? Were there any children?"

"Um… I don't know how many. I only met two people, Mr. Gold's fiancée and Neal's sister."

"Neal's sister… Gold doesn't have a daughter."

"No… I don't think Gold is her father. She said she was Neal's half sister. That they had the same mom."

"Bloody fuck!" Hook cried out, punching the wall hard enough to leave a dent. "She wasn't even there! That bastard!"

"Who wasn't there? Alice?"

But Hook wasn't paying attention to her. "Smee! He called out."

A short man with a fuzzy beard and a red cap ran into the room. "Yes Captain?"

"Gold has a cabin where the women are. I need to find it, now. She's there."

"Yes Captain, let me get the list of his properties."

"How long did Neal say they were going to be there?" he asked, looking over at Emma.

"I think just for tonight."

"Smee!" he yelled, "I don't have much time!" He turned back to Emma. "It seems you knew more than you were letting on."

She eyed him warily. "What's going on?"

"My daughter. Gold took her from me 6 years ago, and tonight I'm going to take her back."


End file.
